Massachusetts lawmakers will meet on December 8, 2022, to publicly review applications for Massachusetts sportsbooks. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) received 15 sportsbook applications ahead of the November 21, 2022, deadline. Three of these applicants are scheduled to be reviewed. Approvals could be issued during the meeting.
Massachusetts Meeting Incoming
The Massachusetts sports betting market is still aiming for a January launch for retail and a March launch for online sportsbooks. The applicants that will be reviewed during the MGC meeting will be applying for retail access. The Encore Boston Harbor, MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino are the entities applying.
These are the three local casinos that are allowed a Massachusetts sportsbook. The meeting will discuss the validity of each application. These are the only entities allowed in Massachusetts to operate retail sports betting. Because of this, it is expected that all three applicants will be approved next week.
The meeting keeps the timeline on pace for the MGC. During a commission meeting, MGC Karen Wells informed the rest of the commission that things were going as scheduled. Should retail sportsbooks launch within the window, this gives optimism for online sports betting to launch on time as well.
Online Sportsbooks Next Step
Following the launch of retail sportsbooks, Massachusetts will shift its focus fully to online sports betting. The target is to be live in time for the NCAA March Madness Tournament. The initial goal was to have online sportsbooks live in time for the Super Bowl, but the MGC admitted that this was an unrealistic timeline.
Lawmakers expect to have all online Massachusetts sportsbooks go live once they determine an official date. Operators agreed on a unified launch date during several previous MGC meetings. Operators also agreed to allow retail to launch ahead of online.
If things continue to go as planned, the full market will be live before the end of Q1 2023. Massachusetts sports betting is incoming.
